This will be the first MLG circuit event to not feature Riot Games' MOBA since its appearance on the 2012 circuit in Anaheim during June of that year. The last MLG event to feature League of Legends, the Major League Gaming Spring Championships, broke records, with 4.7 million unique viewers tuning into watch the event, in addition to the StarCraft II and Call of Duty tournaments.

MLG recently announced that Dota 2 will be present at the event, featuring $50,000 and several world class teams that competed at Valve's The International 3. Along with League of Legends' non-appearance, StarCraft II will also not be in Columbus for the first time since the game was introduced on the circuit in 2011.

MLG partnered in May with Turbine for their DC Comics MOBA Infinite Crisis, most recently holding a tournament at PAX Prime. Infinite Crisis is likely to make an appearance, while Treyarch's Call of Duty: Black Ops II is the second mainstage game announced for MLG Columbus.

@ParaLovesAyane@Goosebumpage I remember the IEM reason was simply because IEM was happening right after worlds. So really players would be too tired and would want their off season to start. So yeah IEM is more on the having no choice but to drop it for IEM NY, unlike MLG.